Discover the world of beer with Beerologist Allen Winn Sneath. You can even ask your own questions online.

Is it a myth that the darker the beer, the stronger the beer?

- Evan B. in Guelph

The colour and alcohol strength of beer is unrelated. Guinness, one of the best-known dark beers around has 4.2% alcohol by volume compared to a golden pilsner like Labatt Blue with 5% alcohol by volume. The alcohol content is based on the amount of fermentable sugars in the brew. The colour comes from the type of malt used. A huge amount of pale malt will produce a strong beer with little colour and a lesser amount of roasted malt will make a dark beer with low alcohol.

- The Beerologist

Allen knows his subject matter well. As an ad agency executive for over 25 years, he developed some of the Canadian beer industry's most memorable campaigns. He was a founding partner in the Algonquin Brewing Company, one of the country's first generation microbreweries. Allen is the author of Brewed In Canada, the only book documenting Canada's colourful 350-year-old brewing industry. The work was awarded the Quill & Tankard Trophy by the North American Guild of Beer Writers. Allen is available for informal and entertaining speaking engagements. You can contact him direct via email at ad-vantage@rogers.com.